2018 Subaru Outback problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (233) · Electrical System (197) · Visibility:windshield (36)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Outback model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
488 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2021-07-29 · campaign 21V587000 · 175,968 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Visibility:rearview Mirrors/Devices 2018-12-31 · campaign 18V935000 · 71,190 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.
Electrical System:software 2018-11-01 · campaign 18V773000 · 228,648 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Risk: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.
Service bulletins (439)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 439 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-20 · Exterior Lighting“was notified by the dealer upon completion of an oil change, on may 20, 2026, that the driver side front daytime led running light was not functioning. the light was not on. i am a faithful user of either turning on my headlights in the absence of drl or using the factory drl on the vehicle. the failure of one drl compromises the safety effect…”
2026-10-19 · Unknown Or Other“the multimedia device/infotainment system (harman-kardon) which controls the radio, navigation maps, back-up camera, etc, is again showing issues with the screen, "delamination," which causes the radio channels to change irradically, causing distraction and confusion when driving. this issue was found and recalled years ago, and this car's origina…”
2026-10-11 · Unknown Or Other“summary of safety defect: the vehicle exhibits severe, premature corrosion and rust perforation of the front subframe (crossmember) assembly. this structural component is deteriorating at an accelerated rate, compromising the vehicle's structural integrity. this was confirmed at a subaru dealership and as a result has failed ny annual inspection. …”
2026-10-03 · Electrical System“the touchscreen has delamination and ghost touching of the apps. i spoke with my dealer and was first told it was covered by subaru to replace, as it was a known issue, but when i took my car to the dealer, i was told i would have to pay around $1,500 to have it repaired/replaced. the ghost touching of the screen is so bad and consistent that it …”
2026-09-29 · Visibility/Wiper“the 8-inch gen 3 harman starlink touchscreen is delaminating/bubbling. it registers phantom touch inputs and becomes unresponsive on its own while the vehicle is in motion, changing audio, navigation, and system settings without driver input. if a phone is ever attached, the screen will randomly calling phone numbers. these unintended inputs and lo…”
2026-09-12 · Unknown Or Other“infotainment unit in my 2018 subaru outback has had a recurring freeze/black-screen defect since new, and it directly affects the backup camera display and interaction with eyesight safety features, creating a rear-visibility hazard while reversing and a driver-distraction hazard while underway. documented history: on 6/4/2018 at 6,071 miles, the d…”
2026-09-11 · Engine“the car started to make very loud engine noises and then the engine completely failed. the car was no longer able to accelerate and lost the ability to go in both forward and reverse. luckily, my son had just arrived home when the car completely lost power, but it began to have acceleration issues as he was driving home. no warning lights came on u…”
2026-09-09 · Structure:body“i was driving on the highway going 70 mph when the hood latch suddenly came unlatched. the hood flew up and smashed into the windshield, blocking my view. i was able to slow down and pull onto the shoulder, but there was damage to my hood, windshield, rear view mirror, body panels, sunroof, roof, and trim. …”
2026-09-08 · Structure:body“infotainment screen is delaminated and doesn’t work…”
2026-08-01 · Unknown Or Other“i am reporting a safety defect involving the infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 subaru outback). the touchscreen has developed visible "bubbles" under the screen lamination, with lines and bubbling appearing beneath the surface of the display. as the weather got warmer, the issue worsened, and the screen constantly registers false touch inputs (“g…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.